Evina Comment

[LA Vol]

Could someone give the EXACT quote as to the question(s) Evina was asked? I can’t clearly understand the questioner. How the question is worded has a serious impact on how Evina’s response is interpreted... “changes needed” or “changes in staff needed” or something else? That makes a big difference on how to read her response.

Two points, jmo..
1) possibly an inappropriate question asked at an inappropriate time
2) emotional 19 year olds may not always express themselves as cogently as a head coach, admin, AD, etc.

I’ll wait until have more accurate data to make a decision, but will say Evina would have been wiser to have stuck with “I don’t know.” Less open to interpretation...and even then if some reporter/commentator thought they could make a story out of it, they would have.

The initial question was a routine after a season-ending loss question: "Where do you go from here?" Evina said that was a good question, then segued into "Steps need to be taken with our staff and overall off-court with this team." That triggered the follow-up questions about what steps, what off-court issues and whether she thought Holly Warlick would be the coach next year.

The players are prepared for post-game questions, and most players respond with ways they can improve and grow during the off-season-- working on ball handling, TOs, FTs, fouls, discipline, effort, teamwork, etc., which is probably what the reporter expected. It wasn't a leading first question, though the reporter did run with it, knowing the response would create controversy.

 

[Smallvol#1]

The initial question was a routine after a season-ending loss question: "Where do you go from here?" Evina said that was a good question, then segued into "Steps need to be taken with our staff and overall off-court with this team." That triggered the follow-up questions about what steps, what off-court issues and whether she thought Holly Warlick would be the coach next year.

The players are prepared for post-game questions, and most players respond with ways they can improve and grow during the off-season-- working on ball handling, TOs, FTs, fouls, discipline, effort, teamwork, etc., which is probably what the reporter expected. It wasn't a leading first question, though the reporter did run with it, knowing the response would create controversy.

Thanks.

I tried to listen to it. I hear a woman ask a question and E’s response is “good question”, then it sounds like a man questions her about “steps to be taken in off season”. That sounds leadng to me. It is highly likely she will answer in response to “steps taken” and obviously the only ones taking steps during off season are players and coaches. Then all the interpretations as to what she said/meant start erupting. I would love to see an actual transcript of that interview.

 

[BreatheUT]

I am 100% behind what Evina did and said

she was not disrespectful or demeaning
she wasn't demanding
she simply let honesty lead

She echoes my personality
I love it when I am under good management in my workplace

when not,
I seek change,
if I can't get change
I change it

Let me be honest and sincere about this. I don't think it is ever good for a player especially at this level to come out to the media questioning the coaching staff makeup but it is a clear indicator of major problems within the program. I will be shocked if this group of underclassmen and/or coaching staff is the same going into next year.

 

[Orange_Mamba]

Pertaining to Landers and company, why is it so hard for women college basketball commentators to be honest? That goes for wbb journalists also. They spend all this time pussyfooting around the situation as to not step on any toes or this need to be liked. They love asking vanilla questions instead of challenging these coaches they accept these bullet point quotes. You see it in every press con with Holly. How the heck week after week they let get by with IDK when it comes to the game plan is blasphemous. You don’t see that kind of reporting on the men’s side.

 

[Franklin Pierce]

From the UCONN board:

#-1
No way. Forget anything about her as a young adult, Geno wouldn't tolerate her mother and her mother's social media antics. Geno doesn't bring drama into the locker room. Evina may or may not be dramatic herself, but her mother has proven to run her mouth online to elevate minor or on-situations into major happenings and controversies..... No thanks. I wish her luck and that she can find independence from her parents wherever she may continue her college and pro career.

#-2
These comments by Westbrook do not sit well with me. I don’t care how bad the coach is. She is the coach YOU picked. It's not even like Pat recruited her and then she got "stuck" with a replacement. Evina CHOSE to play for Holly. You realize now you made a mistake? Great, you can transfer. Totally unacceptable to make these kinds of comments to the media, IMO.

#-3
1) No way UConn would tolerate her comments to the press about the coaching staff, whether prompted by reporters or not.

2) She has an over-involved parent who has been publicly, and strongly, hinting Evina is going to transfer.

3) Geno would never put up with her selective level of effort in games.

#-4
Technically, wouldn’t Jordan Horston be a “transfer” with immediate eligibility? I would take her...

 

[papatomany]

Could someone give the EXACT quote as to the question(s) Evina was asked? I can’t clearly understand the questioner. How the question is worded has a serious impact on how Evina’s response is interpreted... “changes needed” or “changes in staff needed” or something else? That makes a big difference on how to read her response.

Two points, jmo..
1) possibly an inappropriate question asked at an inappropriate time
2) emotional 19 year olds may not always express themselves as cogently as a head coach, admin, AD, etc.

I’ll wait until have more accurate data to make a decision, but will say Evina would have been wiser to have stuck with “I don’t know.” Less open to interpretation...and even then if some reporter/commentator thought they could make a story out of it, they would have.

I couldn't even tell if Evina was saying that there needed to be changes with the coaching staff or that the coaching staff needs to make changes.

 

[ksl415]

From the UCONN board:

#-1
No way. Forget anything about her as a young adult, Geno wouldn't tolerate her mother and her mother's social media antics. Geno doesn't bring drama into the locker room. Evina may or may not be dramatic herself, but her mother has proven to run her mouth online to elevate minor or on-situations into major happenings and controversies..... No thanks. I wish her luck and that she can find independence from her parents wherever she may continue her college and pro career.

#-2
These comments by Westbrook do not sit well with me. I don’t care how bad the coach is. She is the coach YOU picked. It's not even like Pat recruited her and then she got "stuck" with a replacement. Evina CHOSE to play for Holly. You realize now you made a mistake? Great, you can transfer. Totally unacceptable to make these kinds of comments to the media, IMO.

#-3
1) No way UConn would tolerate her comments to the press about the coaching staff, whether prompted by reporters or not.

2) She has an over-involved parent who has been publicly, and strongly, hinting Evina is going to transfer.

3) Geno would never put up with her selective level of effort in games.

#-4
Technically, wouldn’t Jordan Horston be a “transfer” with immediate eligibility? I would take her...

They can bash her all they want. Think I give 2 ... about what some people at UConn think.

Of course they would choose Holly lol and want to keep her here at Tennessee.

 

[PG1]

They can bash her all they want. Think I give 2 ... about what some people at UConn think.

Of course they would choose Holly lol and want to keep her here at Tennessee.

A player making any type of negative comments towards their caoach can not be tolerated! Everyone wants to be back at that level under Pat and the current level of UCONN, Baylor, ND, Stanford etc! Well i will assure you this undermining would have been squashed by Pat and these other Coaches! Holly is fired or resigns and something with the new coach is not liked she and others will feel they can do this again! Lots of changes should be made with both staff and roster!

 

[Tennesseefan2019]

Hopefully Holly Warlick retires today or this week and most people will forget about this controversy

 

[Arclight]

She mumbles and the interviewers were hardly audible---ZZzzzzz

 

[Spacejam]

Like i give a damn what any Uconn fan has to say. they love what's currently happening to Tennessee and would love for them to keep her that way the program continues fading away until they are completely irrelevant.

 

[Twinsbornoncampus]

Feel for Evina, it’s evident it hurt her to lose, but it would hurt worse to come back and play for Holly again.

I did not see the intensity that other players exhibited on our team just saying

 

[glv98]

A player making any type of negative comments towards their caoach can not be tolerated! Everyone wants to be back at that level under Pat and the current level of UCONN, Baylor, ND, Stanford etc! Well i will assure you this undermining would have been squashed by Pat and these other Coaches! Holly is fired or resigns and something with the new coach is not liked she and others will feel they can do this again! Lots of changes should be made with both staff and roster!

But this is the exact point. It would not be tolerated and would not be necessary with a strong coach who had control of her locker room. Ditto for the overly busy Mom on social media. This situation spiraled out of control a few years ago when Diamond and her Dad swooped in. Not saying they are to blame or did anything wrong but they exposed the fatal coaching flaw in Holly - inability to control her team and exert herself as a strong leader. Add in Holly's self-professed inability to relate to today's players (a skill which other coaches her age have easily mastered) and her lack of ability at game management and you can understand the hollowing out of any remaining respect for HW. You can argue the position should be respected but circumstances often override that, especially in desperate situations.

Evina and the rest of the kids have been living their bball life in a leaderless vacumn full of hue and cry from justifiably outraged fans at their lack of development and success for several years now. They have watched the bus, with them in it, careen toward the cliff at an alarming rate, and have seen nothing be done about it. We don't know, and its reasonable to assume since they have so much at stake, that they have not been begging for help behind the scenes. So yeah, interviewers were able to drag a mumbled response from a depressed kid and make a headline out of it.

All of this changes with the hiring of a coach who can actually do the hard part of the job - having control of their program and earning respect both on and off court. So I don't think this incident in the context of desperate times writes a blank check for any future player who wants to grumble. A strong, capable coach can change the rotting culture quickly.

 

[madtownvol]

LORDY, people are freakin over what they think Evina said or what they have read about what other people have said about what she said. This thread has become a grand game of "whisper down the lane"

Her actual statement, in response to reporters questions, was not that controversial:


Q: Where do you go from here.
EW: That's a great question. I have nothing to say but that is a great question.

Q; Inaudible
EW: I have nothing to say

Q; Can you think of steps that need to be taken in the next few months
EW: Hmm, most definitely, off the court stuff, steps need to be taken with the staff, and just overall off the court with this team

Q; Are there problems off the court
EW: Hmm, I won't say.

Q; Do you expect Holly Warlick to be coaching here next season
EW: Hmm, I don't know

Listen/watch for yourself:

Evina's post game locker room interview

 

[Amb3096]

From the UCONN board:

#-1
No way. Forget anything about her as a young adult, Geno wouldn't tolerate her mother and her mother's social media antics. Geno doesn't bring drama into the locker room. Evina may or may not be dramatic herself, but her mother has proven to run her mouth online to elevate minor or on-situations into major happenings and controversies..... No thanks. I wish her luck and that she can find independence from her parents wherever she may continue her college and pro career.

#-2
These comments by Westbrook do not sit well with me. I don’t care how bad the coach is. She is the coach YOU picked. It's not even like Pat recruited her and then she got "stuck" with a replacement. Evina CHOSE to play for Holly. You realize now you made a mistake? Great, you can transfer. Totally unacceptable to make these kinds of comments to the media, IMO.

#-3
1) No way UConn would tolerate her comments to the press about the coaching staff, whether prompted by reporters or not.

2) She has an over-involved parent who has been publicly, and strongly, hinting Evina is going to transfer.

3) Geno would never put up with her selective level of effort in games.

#-4
Technically, wouldn’t Jordan Horston be a “transfer” with immediate eligibility? I would take her...

LOL, is Franklin Warlick really going to the Boneyard to find support for Holly? That's too funny. Does anyone seriously think that anyone on that board wants the best for Tennessee to begin with?

Oh Franklin...

 

[Amb3096]

A player making any type of negative comments towards their caoach can not be tolerated! Everyone wants to be back at that level under Pat and the current level of UCONN, Baylor, ND, Stanford etc! Well i will assure you this undermining would have been squashed by Pat and these other Coaches! Holly is fired or resigns and something with the new coach is not liked she and others will feel they can do this again! Lots of changes should be made with both staff and roster!

But a coach who routinely makes negative type of comments about their players EVERY DAMN WEEK should be tolerated?

What's good for the goose is good for the gander.

 

[Sr.VolFan]

Fair point. Its the textbook case of sticking a mic under the victims nose immediately after the crime and saying, "So how do you feel?" Leading question to a dejected kid in an emotional moment at the end of a very frustrating and disappointing season. What could possibly go wrong? It wasn't like she blurted it out or was happy to say it or anything, they kind of dragged it out of her. I hope when commentators are dissing her they actually watch the vid to get that context.

That said, UTAD should have prepared her for the question if they were going to make her available since the Holly issue is finally out in the open all over sports media. Not tell her what to say (hopefully, not sure after seeing Stepford MeMe) but just let her know it was likely to come up.

Or maybe she just said what the hell she's been busting to say for months.

I wish they would ask Holly the hard questions, like do you think this loss should fall on your shoulders. Do you think this loss might be your fault?

 

[sisaq]

nah I'd say she's tired of listening to a clueless moron trying to tell her what to do.

She's tired of Holly telling her about her 12 turnovers rite.. Diamond and the rest were also tired of holly telling them wat they're doing wrong...If can coach, u can't coach..leave it alone.

 

[teacherdean]

I am not a huge fan of Warlick, but what Westbrook did is Unforgivable.

I believe if the players have an issue with Holly, I do not feel Westbrook is the only one, they should first meet with Holly. If that meeting does not work, they should meet with the AD or Administration. I am not going to say that what Westbrook said was unforgivable, unwise perhaps. I do believe that the press is making a mountain out of an ant hill. Sadly it was a true statement made in the heat of the moment after a disappointing loss and a disappointing season. The glaring issue that still remains is, Holly’s systematic killing of a once proud program, while the Administration continues to keep its collective heads up their butts.

 

[sisaq]

But a coach who routinely makes negative type of comments about their players EVERY DAMN WEEK should be tolerated?

What's good for the goose is good for the gander.

She never even said "Holly" needs to be fired!

 

[Smallvol#1]

LORDY, people are freakin over what they think Evina said or what they have read about what other people have said about what she said. This thread has become a grand game of "whisper down the lane"

Her actual statement, in response to reporters questions, was not that controversial:


Q: Where do you go from here.
EW: That's a great question. I have nothing to say but that is a great question.

Q; Inaudible
EW: I have nothing to say

Q; Can you think of steps that need to be taken in the next few months
EW: Hmm, most definitely, off the court stuff, steps need to be taken with the staff, and just overall off the court with this team

Q; Are there problems off the court
EW: Hmm, I won't say.

Q; Do you expect Holly Warlick to be coaching here next season
EW: Hmm, I don't know

Listen/watch for yourself:

Evina's post game locker room interview

Thanks. Pretty innocuous, except for choice of preposition ‘with’, if she had used ‘by’ then would have known exactly what she meant. Best thing, imo, is let Phil and Holly handle it. If they can’t determine meaning and intent, and probable future actions, those of us on the outer fringes sure can’t.

 

[glv98]

I believe if the players have an issue with Holly, I do not feel Westbrook is the only one, they should first meet with Holly. If that meeting does not work, they should meet with the AD or Administration.

We don't know that the players haven't made their feelings known through proper channels do we? They are bball world savvy kids and they know the politically correct path. Maybe they, like we, have been begging long and hard for help and felt betrayed when the pleas were answered with a contract extension.

Then this season of unimaginable horror happened, proving them right and heaping them with more criticism and humiliating failure. I'm honestly surprised, especially if they've tried to state their case privately to no avail, that no one has spoken out before and way more forcefully than poor Evina's tortured, hesitant "call out". I'd call what she did more of a drag out than a call out. Wonder if she wishes now she had been way more honest if she was going to get all this crap anyway.

Whatever happens, I wish Evina Westbrook well; if she needs to transfer I hope she's the next Alexa Middleton. Several have flourished once outside this obviously toxic LV culture. Please Mr. AD make it end.

 

[djtee]

From the UCONN board:

#-1
No way. Forget anything about her as a young adult, Geno wouldn't tolerate her mother and her mother's social media antics. Geno doesn't bring drama into the locker room. Evina may or may not be dramatic herself, but her mother has proven to run her mouth online to elevate minor or on-situations into major happenings and controversies..... No thanks. I wish her luck and that she can find independence from her parents wherever she may continue her college and pro career.

#-2
These comments by Westbrook do not sit well with me. I don’t care how bad the coach is. She is the coach YOU picked. It's not even like Pat recruited her and then she got "stuck" with a replacement. Evina CHOSE to play for Holly. You realize now you made a mistake? Great, you can transfer. Totally unacceptable to make these kinds of comments to the media, IMO.

#-3
1) No way UConn would tolerate her comments to the press about the coaching staff, whether prompted by reporters or not.

2) She has an over-involved parent who has been publicly, and strongly, hinting Evina is going to transfer.

3) Geno would never put up with her selective level of effort in games.

#-4
Technically, wouldn’t Jordan Horston be a “transfer” with immediate eligibility? I would take her...

And for her to try and call out the coaching staff with former players Gordon and Anosike is way out of bounds those two players has 2 championships each so they know what it takes to win. I also looked at what Maria Taylor and Rebeca Lobo has to say about it i think Maria was pretty much telling Westbrook she needs to look at the box score before you start calling anyone out. If that is what she referring to i agree with her 100% look at your numbers and play before you start attacking the staff. As for Holly we all know she has done a awful job coaching this team.

 

[creekdipper]

Serious questions (excuse my ignorance if the answers have been previously posted):

1. Have former players commented on Holly's coaching abilities pro or con?

2. Have former players and/or colleagues defended Holly by listing specific coaching attributes she has (and not just general things).? Usually what I hear is "She's likeable," "She recruits well," "She loves Tennessee," "She wants the players to graduate," yada yada. All good things, but what about her qualities as a head coach?

(I'd ask more, but those are the priority questions, IMO. I hear (and have observed) lots and lots of negative things about stagnant offense, porous defense, lack of effort, poor substitution and timeout patterns, lack of speaking skills, etc...basically, almost all the qualities expected in a head coach at any level. Heck, I expected those things of myself at a middle school, and I knew my weaknesses very well when it came to offensive schemes. And I knew when someone else with better skills was available to take over, too!).

I'm just wondering if Westbrook (whether she was right or wrong in spilling the beans) was just verbalizing what many/most players have been hinting at or just privately saying for years?

Middleton pretty much said the same thing. She was just more tactful about it, and she was getting out of Dodge before the storm hit.

I'm bothered less by Westbrook's comments than the fact that Collins and Warlick both individually gave a post-game comment word-for-word. As many have said, it's like the players are expected to follow a script and fall upon their sword.

I read an article about North Carolina's men earlier this season after an embarrassing loss, and Williams ripped into...himself. Oh, somewhere in his comments, he mentioned the team's shortcomings in the game, but only after he had squarely shouldered the blame and taken responsibility for the team being unprepared to play. That's what a leader does.

I also read Warlick's post-game comments in which she blamed "parity" for the loss. One could easily interpret that as her downplaying Tennessee's success under Summit as having come in an era in which there wasn't much competition (downplaying the fact that Pat played the toughest schedule around while Holly pads her schedule with front-loaded cupcakes). Even if you attribute many of her gaffes to just poor brain-mouth coordination, that still says that she can't handle the job responsibilities when she creates false impressions, insults players, blames others or "circumstances," or does other silly things aside from saying "I don't know" a lot.

 

[teacherdean]

Serious questions (excuse my ignorance if the answers have been previously posted):

1. Have former players commented on Holly's coaching abilities pro or con?

2. Have former players and/or colleagues defended Holly by listing specific coaching attributes she has (and not just general things).? Usually what I hear is "She's likeable," "She recruits well," "She loves Tennessee," "She wants the players to graduate," yada yada. All good things, but what about her qualities as a head coach?

(I'd ask more, but those are the priority questions, IMO. I hear (and have observed) lots and lots of negative things about stagnant offense, porous defense, lack of effort, poor substitution and timeout patterns, lack of speaking skills, etc...basically, almost all the qualities expected in a head coach at any level. Heck, I expected those things of myself at a middle school, and I knew my weaknesses very well when it came to offensive schemes. And I knew when someone else with better skills was available to take over, too!).

I'm just wondering if Westbrook (whether she was right or wrong in spilling the beans) was just verbalizing what many/most players have been hinting at or just privately saying for years?

Middleton pretty much said the same thing. She was just more tactful about it, and she was getting out of Dodge before the storm hit.

I'm bothered less by Westbrook's comments than the fact that Collins and Warlick both individually gave a post-game comment word-for-word. As many have said, it's like the players are expected to follow a script and fall upon their sword.

I read an article about North Carolina's men earlier this season after an embarrassing loss, and Williams ripped into...himself. Oh, somewhere in his comments, he mentioned the team's shortcomings in the game, but only after he had squarely shouldered the blame and taken responsibility for the team being unprepared to play. That's what a leader does.

I also read Warlick's post-game comments in which she blamed "parity" for the loss. One could easily interpret that as her downplaying Tennessee's success under Summit as having come in an era in which there wasn't much competition (downplaying the fact that Pat played the toughest schedule around while Holly pads her schedule with front-loaded cupcakes). Even if you attribute many of her gaffes to just poor brain-mouth coordination, that still says that she can't handle the job responsibilities when she creates false impressions, insults players, blames others or "circumstances," or does other silly things aside from saying "I don't know" a lot.

Holly is never going to rip herself because it would be facing reality. At this point she Is delusional and believes it is the players lack of effort and because they are different than they use to be. She has no problem throwing the players under the bus but have anyone heard her talk about what she needs to do to correct the issues? This going back to the basics should have already been part of the program. That is just another excuse for ineptitude.